


Rabbit Heart

by stella_polaris



Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I like making my favourite characters suffer, I'm really sorry, Post Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 21:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stella_polaris/pseuds/stella_polaris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time it happened she woke up actually screaming. Michele’s heart was racing and it felt like she couldn’t breathe. It took her a moment before she remembered where she was. It took another moment before she realized that she’d woken up from a nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rabbit Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I keep writing hurt/comfort fics. I wrote the other fic yesterday to get it out of my head because I actually don't have much time for writing right now. The moment I was done, this plot bunny appeared. I don't know what to think of it tbh... and I'm not sure if it's a little OOC? I just know that with everything that happened to Michele, some sort of trauma is very likely.
> 
> Title is a song by Florence + The Machine.

The first time it happened she woke up actually screaming. Michele’s heart was racing and it felt like she couldn’t breathe. It took her a moment before she remembered where she was and recognized her surroundings as Anders’ bedroom. It took another moment before she realized that she’d woken up from a nightmare. Knowing that didn’t make things better much because it didn’t make the dream less real.

Anders had woken up as well and was looking at her sleepily when she turned her head in his direction. “What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

Michele shook her head. She didn’t trust her voice enough to answer. She was still trembling and wasn’t able to stop, she didn’t want to start crying on top of that. Although she felt so miserable that crying seemed to be the right thing to do.

Anders frowned. He appeared to hesitate for a moment before he pulled her into his arms. Michele only resisted for a short moment before she leaned into the embrace. She remembered the last time Anders had tried to hug her and how awkward she had felt about it. Now she was positively clinging to him. She was terrified and Anders was the only thing that made her realize that she had only dreamed, he was her connection to reality.

Anders knew for once when to keep his mouth shut and held her until she had calmed down again. “Well… that was embarrassing…” Michele said quietly and leant back against her pillow.

“What did you dream?” Anders asked.

“It was stupid, really… I mean, I know it’s not true… why did I freak out like that? It was just a dream, after all…” Michele knew she was rambling and very effectively not answering the question.

“What was that dream about?” Anders repeated.

“I… I died. I mean… it was the exact thing that happened when Heimdall killed me. Just that I was watching the scene. I saw myself drop dead and there was so much blood and…” She took a deep breath and shuddered. It had felt so real. Shit, it had felt so real because it had actually happened.

“Anyone would freak out after a dream like that,” Anders replied. He had lain down again as well and Michele turned around to lie on her side, facing him.

“How would you know that?” she asked skeptically.

Anders shrugged before he replied. “I’ve had my fair share of nightmares,” he said and it was clear that was all she was going to hear on that subject. She was curious and wanted to dig deeper but decided against it. She reminded herself that she didn’t need to know.

“But it was real…” Michele all but whispered.

“It wasn’t, though. You’re not dead. You’re very much alive… Hey, imagine being stuck in some sort of afterlife with me. That would suck, wouldn’t it?” Anders joked.

Michele chuckled quietly at Anders’ attempt to lighten the mood. “Yeah… I’d consider killing myself a second time just to get rid of you.”

“That sounds more like you. Although I thought you’d rather try to kill me…” Anders said and smiled.

“You’re right… thanks for the idea.”

Michele closed her eyes and wanted to go back to sleep. She resisted the urge to scoot closer towards Anders. She didn’t do hugging and much less cuddling. And not with Anders, anyway. They didn’t have that sort of relationship. It was casual sex and nothing more. She sometimes spent the night, only because she couldn’t be bothered to go home. Even then they always just slept next to each other.

But when her hand brushed against Anders’ on the bed she couldn’t stop herself from reaching over and lacing their fingers together. She didn’t know what she expected but she certainly didn’t expect the light squeeze she felt in return.

The nightmares didn’t leave Michele alone for a long time. It took weeks and months until she didn’t sit bolt upright in bed after waking up from a dream in the middle of the night. It felt worst when she was alone. Then it usually meant she wouldn’t get any more sleep that night.

It went a little better when she spent the night with Anders, which happened increasingly often. Michele had learned very soon that Anders was a light sleeper because he always woke up as well when she awoke from a nightmare. After the first night he never asked any questions about the dreams anymore. He only made her lie back down and took her hand in his. And when she was especially shaken by the dreams he pulled her close and held her.

Michele didn’t complain about it. And Anders never brought it up during the day, never treated her differently than before. It was an unspoken agreement between them. This was the way it worked. Michele didn’t want anyone to think she was weak and Anders kept her secret. And she was eternally grateful for that. 


End file.
